TANZANIA: "Incredible Pressure" on Refugee Operations [19990728]

TANZANIA: "Incredible pressure" on refugee
operations

[This IRIN report does not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations]

NAIROBI, 28 July (IRIN) - The situation of refugees
who have fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
to the Kigoma region of western Tanzania has become
a great concern to humanitarian agencies, struggling
to provide food, health services and drinking water
in camps designed for much smaller numbers.

In addition, hundreds every day are still fleeing the
fighting in DRC, humanitarian organisations said. "It
doesn't matter what they are saying at the peace talks,
the people are not listening - they're crossing to
Tanzania at the first opportunity," John Sparrow,
press officer with the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told IRIN
on Wednesday.

Lugufu camp, one of two catering for the Congolese arrivals,
was already "seriously overcrowded" with
62,000 registered refugees in a facility designed for
40,000, according to the Federation, which supports
the Tanzanian Red Cross in running the camp. Sparrow
said tension in Lugufu was rising as overcrowding increased,
and the continuing arrival of an average 5,000 Congolese
each week was exacerbating the difficulties. "It's
putting incredible pressure on us. Right at the moment
we're struggling," he added.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR confirmed to IRIN the problems
of overcrowding and refugee care at Lugufu and at Nyarugusu,
the other camp in western Kigoma that caters for Congolese
refugees. Spokesman Peter Kessler cited refugee figures
of 55,000 for Lugufu and 37,000 for Nyarugusu, adding
that both camps were overcrowded and a site for a third
camp would have to be found. "There is a serious
problem," Kessler said, adding however that refugee
numbers were somewhat inflated by double registrations
and would have to be revalidated.

He noted the Tanzanian government had identified a potential
site for a new camp at Karago, some 60 km south of
Kigoma, but said it was on the wrong side of the Malagarasi
River for refugees and was not financially viable for
UNHCR because it would mean building a US $3 million
bridge. The agency did not undertake such infrastructural
projects and already had severe budgetary limitations
on its African operations, he said.

At Lugufu, initially established in February 1997, food
rations have been cut by about a third and the water
supply, drawn from the Malagarasi River and treated,
had been cut from 17 litres per person per day to about
12 litres, said Sparrow. While the Federation was busy
working on a new pipeline with greater capacity and
had introduced longer pumping hours, a system that
had coped well for up to 45,000 camp residents was
now struggling to cope with current numbers, Sparrow
added.

The Federation is also concerned about rising - though
not yet critical - mortality rates, especially among
children under-five, coupled with persistent malaria,
an increased incidence of pneumonia and a few cases
of meningitis and cholera. Health services, which are
also offered to the local population, have been "close
to overwhelmed at times ... the alarm bells are ringing",
said Sparrow.

"Refugees are frequently unhappy because the conditions
Lugufu was offering cannot be sustained for the numbers
we're coping with," he said. "There have
been moments when it's been tense, when people have
vented their frustrations. We're seeing reactions from
the refugees that we should be taking very, very seriously
- and we are."

Nyarugusu camp, in addition to being full, has "grave
problems with malaria" and serious food supply
problems which have led to reduced rations, about which
the refugees are not very happy, Kessler said on Wednesday.

In an attempt to ease the situation in Kigoma, the Federation
has identified a site where it hopes to establish an
extension to Lugufu for 30,000 refugees. Discussions
with UNHCR, the Tanzanian government and donors are
at an advanced stage and the Federation is anticipating
a decision "very, very soon", Sparrow told
IRIN. "It's not a situation that can endure for
long," he added.

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